9 Ways to Take a Cheap Family Vacation

Family vacations are great for getting away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and making memories with your loved ones. But, they can also be a serious drain on your bank account.

Luckily, there are lots of things you can do to cut costs without sacrificing fun.

Read on for nine great tips that will help you take a cheap family vacation that everyone will love.

1. Plan a Staycation

Sometimes, you don’t have to travel far to have a great vacation experience. A lot of the expenses that you rack up while traveling come from hotel rooms and eating out.

To save some serious cash, look for adventures close to home. Do you live near a major historical site or national park? Take a day trip there to have a great experience without a bunch of added travel costs.

2. Be Adventurous

Whether you stay at home or venture away, it helps to look for free or low-cost adventures to keep everyone busy during the day. Theme parks, movies, and plays can be pricey. But, it often free (or very cheap) to take a hike or bike ride through a new town.

Active vacations are easy on the wallet, and they come with the added bonus of wearing your kids out before bedtime. Some ideas you might consider include:

Hikes

Rafting

Zipline and ropes courses

Cycling

Geocaching

Some of these options come with an admission fee, but it’s usually much cheaper than what you’d pay for a typical vacation activity.

3. Skip Tourist Traps

Instead of going to the most popular vacation destinations (Southern California, Orlando, Miami, etc.), take a trip off the beaten path.

Your wallet will thank you, and your kids will have something unique to talk about when they go back to school.

To find the best, most affordable options, plan ahead and try to get in touch with friends or family who live in an area you want to visit.

They’ll be able to weigh in on the most affordable activities and the best places to stay (they might even let you bunk with them!).

4. Skip the Hotels

If you really want a cheap family vacation, your first step should be to opt out of a hotel and go with a service like Airbnb instead.

Airbnb lets you rent homes and apartments for significantly less than you’d spend on a hotel. These places often come with full kitchens and laundry facilities, too. This means you’ll save a fortune on meals and expensive hotel laundry.

5. Talk to a Club Store

If homeshares aren’t an option where you’re headed, there are still some ways you can save money on your trip.

For example, consider booking through a club store like Costco. These stores often offer great deals on popular vacations like Disney parks and affordable cruises. They even throw in free extras like character dining and gift cards.

You can look for travel deals even without a membership, although you will have to become a member to take advantage of them. Many people think that the membership fee is worth it, even if it’s just used for travel discounts.

6. Plan for Extra Fees

When you’re establishing a budget for your trip, make sure you account for all the little extra fees that tend to pop up when you’re traveling.

Taxes, resort fees, baggage fees, and tips can quickly add up and leave your wallet feeling a lot lighter than you anticipated.

If you’re really worried about these extra costs and want to do as much planning as possible, look for online reviews for your hotel or resort to see if they have hidden fees that aren’t disclosed on the booking site.

7. Be Strategic with Your Souvenirs

Souvenirs are part of the travel experience, and you shouldn’t forgo them completely just because you’re trying to have a cheap family vacation.

Be strategic about where you purchase your souvenirs, though.

Remember, most off-site stores — including places like Target or Walmart — have cheap souvenirs for sale that look exactly like what you’d find at a park or other attraction.

If your kids absolutely have to have something from the park itself, set a budget just for souvenirs and make sure they know what they’re able to spend.

8. Create a Vacation-Only Email Account

To get great vacation deals, you’ll need to set up an email account that is dedicated solely to these kinds of messages.

Use this address when you’re signing up for newsletters, coupons, and other alerts so that your regular email doesn’t get clogged.

Go ahead and give it an obvious name since it only has one purpose. Make sure the password is easy to recall, too.

9. Sign Up For Hotel and Airfare Deal Alerts

Once you’ve got your email set up, start signing up for hotel deal alerts. Some good places to start include:

Groupon Getaways

Living Social Escapes

Hotels.com

Dealbase

Don’t forget to sign up for programs that will save you money on your flights, too. AirfareWatchdog is a great option, and so is the Flight Deal.

Many hotel brands also offer great deals to people who sign up for their loyalty program.

Programs like the Marriott Vacation Club will help you get discounts on hotel rooms. They also often come with perks like free wi-fi, free parking, and free breakfast.

If you have a preferred hotel chain you like to frequent, it’s definitely worth it to join these programs.

Want to Enjoy a Cheap Family Vacation?

These tips will help you find great deals for a cheap family vacation. But, wouldn’t it be even better if you could travel for free? That’s right, we said free.

This post will show you how you can travel for free and even get paid while on vacation.